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Top Lift Kits For Trucks – Buyer’s Guide: The Best Suspension Lift Kits Available for the 2nd and 3rd Gen (2005+) Tacoma: Bilstein VS. OME VS. Eibach vs. The Dobinsons
The Toyota Tacoma is known for its durability and capability on and off the road. The stock Tacoma can take you down many trails with no problem, but for those looking to experience more advanced off-roading, you’ll need to think about lifting the truck with suspension.
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Luckily for you, Tacomas have some of the best aftermarket suspension components, especially compared to other vehicles. The only downside is that shopping for your new lift kit can be quite overwhelming with all the different brands and prices available.
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In this article, I’ll cover some of the basics you need to know about suspension lift kits. From different prices, shock lengths, springs and more. By the time you’ve finished reading this article, hopefully you’ll have a better understanding of all aspects of each kit and know what you’re looking for.
If you’re looking for something even more complete, check out another recent post on the top lift kits for the Toyota Tacoma. This post will cover almost everything you would like to learn specifically and a few more options.
When shopping online for complete suspension lift kits for your Tacoma, you will find that most front suspension lifters are coilovers. As the name suggests, coilovers are coils (springs) mounted on a shock absorber.
Some winches may be equipped with an adjustable ride height feature, such as the BP-51 Lift Kit shown above, which uses a threaded plate to adjust to your desired ride height. Additional dampers may also include dampers that have adjustable dampers that allow for a stiffer or softer ride quality over obstacles.
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One thing to consider when researching lift kits is the shock lengths offered. The length of the shock is important because off-roading you usually put the Tacoma in positions that require your suspension to flex. To accommodate the angles you set the tires at, the dampers will move up and down a certain length to try to keep the tire on the ground and absorb the bumps. Damping too long without the recommended ride height will bottom out your shock due to the amount of compression required for a full cycle.
Using shocks that are too short will cause the shock to fully extend more often when bending, resulting in your tires coming off the ground more often and stressing the shock/reeler itself. Finding the right shock height depends on the type of build you plan to do with your Tacoma. If you plan to stay in moderate to advanced terrain, it’s best to use shocks in the following kits if you don’t want to go overboard.
However, if you plan to put your Tacoma to the test in extreme trail and rock crawling, skip this article and look at other builds such as extended travel shocks with reservoirs, suspension with compression + rebound settings, or long travel with extended covers. . This post is aimed more at someone who is new to the hobby or just wants to get their truck off the ground as quickly as possible.
Toyota Tacomas are equipped with leaf spring suspension in the rear that can be raised in one of two ways. The first option when lifting the rear suspension is to use an Add-A-Leaf (AAL). AALs add to your existing leaf pack to provide 1.5-2.5 inches of lift in the rear. AALs are designed to handle near stock loads and should not be used if you plan to carry heavy equipment and bumpers.
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The second option for rear suspension lift is a new leaf pack. These leaf packs are designed for heavier loads and can add anywhere from 100 to 300 pounds depending on the leaf pack you choose. However, their design takes the ride quality down significantly from an already harsh stock to an even stiffer ride with no weight in the rear to weigh them down. If you plan to do any landings or equip your truck with heavy-duty bumpers, leaf packs are the way to handle the load while maintaining the required ground clearance.
For the price and performance, they could be called the best affordable lift on the market. In this kit you get two height adjustable 5100 shocks ranging from 0″ to 2.5″ to increase the front ride height.
To adjust the height, you need to disassemble the cover first, then you can raise or lower the lower spring clip to the desired notch on the damper. By purchasing this kit, Bilstein offers two different coil ratings:
. It is recommended that you only use heavy duty springs if you plan to haul a heavy load – like a bumper and winch. This allows the ride quality to become much more comfortable and without weight up front to compress the springs, the stiffness of the coils won’t absorb as much bounce and you’ll have a harsher ride.
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When you raise your truck, you are changing the mechanics of factory parts that are not designed for this new height. One of these parts is your upper control arms (UCA). UCAs are vital to truck handling when you lift the front end. After adding lift, the angle of your UCAs is no longer optimal and affects performance. Without new UCAs, you’ll find your Tacoma has poor handling, leveling difficulties, and potentially increased tire wear. The best way to fix this is to use aftermarket UCAs like SPC (Specialty Products Company). With the new UCAs, you can fix any current and potential problems you may have. Fortunately for you, this kit gives you the option of using aftermarket control arms.
In addition, this kit gives you two rear lift options. The first is the AAL for lighter builds and the second is the replacement ARB sheet pack for those who want to carry roof tents and still have enough carrying capacity for gear. Companies usually make sure to put in new bushings and longer U-bolts for easy installation.
With the new raised rear, the brake cables will stretch and should be lengthened for a safer ride. You have the option to include a new 24″ long stainless steel braided brake hose to replace the shorter stock line.
The second kit on the list is Bilstein’s Stage 2 lift kit, which features larger and stronger parts compared to the previous Stage 1 lift. Equipped with Bilstein 6112s up front and 5160s in the rear, Bilstein guarantees a smoother ride on and off the road with this kit.
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Bilstein 6112s are high-performance adjustable shocks that are designed to withstand tough terrain. Compared to the 5100s, the 6112 has a larger body size of 2.65″ to the 5100s 1.95″ and has a larger piston size of 14mm, which means more shock travel. The height adjustable feature allows the 6112s to range from 0″ to 2.5″ of front travel. The 6112s are paired with 600lb Bilstein coils to handle the heavy weight of the aftermarket front bumper and winch. For the rear, Bilstein uses its new and improved 5160 shocks, equipped with an external reservoir for increased cooling and a longer shock length for additional lift.
You have two suspension configuration options when building your kit. The first is the standard Icon Add-A-Leaf that already comes with the kit, or for a little extra you can have a set of Icon RXT leaf springs. For an additional $100, the new heavy-duty leaf pack is the better way to go, allowing you to carry all your gear and still ride smoothly without sagging suspension. You also have the option to add or remove individual sheets based on your setup/load. If you want to save money and skip the sheet package, the standard AAL will still lift your Tacoma to the same height, but it’s not designed for heavier loads.
Since the lift provided by this kit is only 2.5 inches, aftermarket UCAs are not required, but still recommended. With this kit you have two options for the new UCA. The first option is SPC UCA and the second is Total Chaos UCA. Both of the UCA’s offered are great options, the Total Chaos is slightly better quality and for an additional $100+ you can’t go wrong with either.
The next kit on the list is the Old Man Emu 2-3″ kit. OME is a renowned manufacturer in the off-road/overland community for its wide range of options and quality of parts. This kit is completely customizable to fit you and your truck’s needs at a great price.
Fits 2003 2021 Tacoma/4runner Front Leveling Strut Top Mount Lift Kit Spacers 3"
Which are designed to handle stock loads while providing up to 2″ of lift. If you’re keeping the Tacoma light and going without a front bumper or an aftermarket winch, this is the way to go. Another option is
Which vary in load capacity from 100 to 200 lbs
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